Winning jockey A P (Tony)McCoy said: “You need a horse that wants to win. Sometimes I do some stupid things and ask him some silly questions but he’s silly enough to keep answering. It’s a pleasure to be able to ride a horse like him - it’s what makes you want to come back here.

“He probably lacks a little bit of intelligence like I do so he keeps coming back for more. He has a good will to win and has a great attitude.

“I must say what an amazing job Jonjo [O’Neill] has done with him. Every year he keeps producing him for the big festivals. For the number of horses who are actually capable of running here he always seems to find one good enough.”

The champion jockey continued: “He was in the Gold Cup but he likes a bit of room and being handy and that’s probably why in this race you can be a little bit more positive on him, you can ride him aggressively but you can keep him out of trouble.

“You can ride him the way he likes to be ridden but that’s not to say he wouldn’t run well in the Gold Cup. The big ones at Cheltenham are pretty sweet, even if they’re not Gold Cups.”

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill added: “He just loves this place and was running a very good race behind Master Minded. After he fell we checked him over head to toe and found nothing and he’d been schooling at home.

“That was very special and he is a great horse. He loves this ground, loves the track and he is always a better horse at this time of year.

“He was very unfortunate when he fell at Ascot because he was going to run a blinder behind Master Minded and he had a few problems on and off in between then and now. It’s a great credit to the yard as well. I sort of took over the riding from the second last!

“He seemed OK after Ascot but it is only when you run them the next time that you find out what the problems are. Everything just came right today and you need that when you come to Cheltenham.

“A winner at Cheltenham is fantastic and we felt that he was probably our best chance if we could get him right. We have got the luck today with the gods looking down on us and the sunshine.

“It was great for Trevor (Hemmings -owner) - he is a great man - and I said to him that if he wins easily enough today that we will run him again in the Gold Cup. I think that we will give him a rest!

Hemmings added: “What a horse. Fantastic! I’ve had everyone coming up to congratulate me and they all want me to buy them a drink. That’s one up for the English!

“He’s such a lovely horse and to recover and come back from his fall [at Ascot in November], which he didn’t deserve, it’s just unbelievable.”

Position

Horse
Trainer

Jockey
Weight

Starting Price
Beaten Distance

1

Albertas Run
Jonjo O'Neill

A P McCoy
11st 10lbs

6 - 1
Winner

2

Kalahari King
Ferdy Murphy

G Lee
11st 10lbs

7 - 1
1 length

3

Rubi Light
R Hennessy

A E Lynch
11st 10lbs

16 - 1
2 lengths

4

Poquelin
P F Nicholls

R Walsh
11st 10lbs

2 - 1
4 1/2 lengths

5

Voy Por Ustedes
N J Henderson

B J Geraghty
11st 10lbs

11 - 1
Neck

6

J'y Vole
W P Mullins

P Townend
11st 3lbs

8 - 1
4 lengths

7

Tartak
T R George

P J Brennan
11st 10lbs

16 - 1
10 lengths

8

Gauvain
Nick Williams

D Jacob
11st 10lbs

11 - 1
6 lengths

9

Hey Big Spender
C L Tizzard

J Tizzard
11st 10lbs

18 - 1
2 3/4 lengths

10

Roberto Goldback
Mrs J Harrington

R M Power
11st 10lbs

16 - 1
2 1/2 lengths

Pulled Up

Breedsbreeze
P F Nicholls

Nick Scholfield
11st 10lbs

40 - 1

Non Runner

Captain Cee Bee
E P Harty

Andrew J McNamara
11st 10lbs

-

Non Runner

Rare Bob
D T Hughes

P W Flood
11st 10lbs

-

Non Runner

Somersby
Miss H C Knight

R Thornton
11st 10lbs

-

DESTINY DEFEATS KALAHARI KING

Kalahahri King appears destined to ever be the bridesmaid after failing to overhaul Albertas Run by a length in a thrilling climax to the Grade One Ryanair Chase over two miles, five furlongs.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained 10-year-old came home strongly after being held up towards the rear by Graham Lee but was unable to overhaul the victor and was forced to repeat his second place in the 2009 Grade One The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy.

Murphy commented: “He’s been a pebble of a horse for us. He’s a Grade One horse and won a Grade One around Aintree but it looks like he’s destined never to win one at this place.

“I’m very happy with the horse but gutted to be second again. He was second in the Arkle and third in last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase. He’s 10 now but we’ll plan to come back for this race next year.

“He jumped beautifully. He just got in a bit tight at the fourth-last and I thought at first that if he had pinged the last he might have got there but looking at Alberta’s Run, I think if our lad had joined him the winner would have pulled out a bit more.

“We’ll look at the two and a half miler at Aintree next month. He keeps picking up prize money in Grade One races and that’s so important with prize money the way it is. It’s great for the Morgans who are fantastic owners.

“Graham Lee is a very good man to have on your side on the big day and he was incredible on him again today.”

RUBI LIGHTS UP ROBBIE’S FESTIVAL

Robbie Hennessy continues in his bid to train a first Festival winner, but he enjoyed a great run in the Ryanair Chase thanks to third-placed Rubi Light.

Still only six, Rubi Light has a bright future. As Hennessy said: “He’s a big horse, standing 17.1 hands, nearly 17.2 and he’s got a bit of filling out to do. He could become the real deal - he should really be running against novices’ this season, but he won a chase in France, so has to take on the big boys. He’s holding his own against them.

“Andrew [Lynch] said if the ground had been softer he would have won. He made a mistake at the second-last and got a bit cut up turning in [to the home straight] otherwise he might have been a bit closer, but we’re delighted. He could be something special next year.

“He’s won over two miles for us, but this was the longest trip he’s tried for us, and Andrew said it was no bother. He could go to Punchestown but it would be ground dependent. Any quicker than this he wouldn’t run.”

Hennessy trains the 2007 Stan James Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity, who like Rubi Light carries the colours of his father, Bill Hennessy. Sublimity, now 11, was trained by John Carr when successful in racing’s major hurdle race, and retirement now beckons, but Robbie said: “He might have one or two more runs - we’re thinking about bringing him over for the Scottish Champion Hurdle.”

Andy Stewart, owner of fourth-placed Poquelin, said: “That was a bit disappointing because beforehand I though he had a better chance than Big Buck’s today. We’ll talk next week about what we do now with him and we could step him up to three miles.”